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American doctors are generally aware that inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is more prevalent in industrialized and westernized countries compared with developing countries. This difference is often attributed to variation in hygienic conditions and their effect on normal development of the immune system. However, findings from several studies suggest that patients from the Indian subcontinent, where living standards are still below those of western countries, are at increased risk for IBD.
The current study examined the risk for IBD in ethnic groups in the U.S. using a database of pathology specimens collected from colonoscopies performed between 2008 and 2013. Patients were stratified into ancestry groups of Indian (persons of an ancestry i…